Questions on a 2.5 gallon startup

[SandyRipp]

I'm so glad I found this forum -- it's good to know that there really are other people out there interested in this!

I had too many plants in my main 29 gallon tank, so I decided to put them in my son's unused Marineland Eclipse 2.5 gallon aquarium.

I read a post here the other night (that I can't find now) about how the lighting in this small setup is too low for plants to grow well. Someone suggested changing the light from the current 7w to 13w. How do I do that? The light fixture in the hood is a small screw-in light the size of nightlight bulb. Would I need to change out the entire fixture?

Also, do I have to put fish in it? Does their waste help fertilize the plants? I'd really like to get the plants established first, then maybe add some dwarf frogs later on down the road.

Thanks for the help!

[timwag2001]

i dont know how many watt bulb you have and it really kinda depends on what kind of plants you have. 2-3 watts per gallon should get your plants growing pretty well. i know nothing about your setup or what kind of fixture and or bulbs for your tank but i'm sure someone here does.

do you know about cycling your tank? the end product of the cycle is nitrate which is important for your plants.

[timwag2001]

by the way, let me be the first to welcome you to the forum!
this place is awesome and is loaded with information and people that are always willing to help

[Purrbox]

These small aquariums do require more light than the WPG "rule" indicates. A lot will depend on the types of plants that you are trying to grow. You could always try a few clippings with the current lighting to see if it works or not and upgrade if needed.

If you're willing to dose Nitrate and Phosphate, there's no need to have fish in the aquarium.

[fort384]

My guess would be that the 7W bulb will be inadequate to grow plants. You may be able to find a compact flourescent screw in type bulb that will give you a better lighting spectrum and a few more watts.

Like Purrbox said, the Watts Per Gallon rule does not apply to an aquarium of your size... more important is the minimum light threshold.

[WhiteDevil]

the CFL's that are screw in you NEED to pay attention to the wattage, I put a 13w equilant to 60w incandescent and I nuked my tank with algae within 5 days from crystal clear to a thick sheet of slimy algae.